Dancing figure toy



z Jan. 6, 1948.

D- B. swgYzE 2,434,059

DANCING FIGURE TOY Filed March 2, 1948 INVENT OR.

Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE DANCING FIGURE TOY Daniel B. Swayze, Newark, N. J.

Application March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,446

. 3 Claims. 1

This inventionrelates to a novel construction of dancing figure toy adapted for easy manipulation by a child whereby to aiford pleasing amusement. g

The invention has for an object to provide a toy of the kind mentioned comprising a casing, a jointed figure supported exteriorly from the casing, an exterior vibratory platform below the figure, and mechanism within the casing for vibrating said platform; said casing having a hand grip portion of the pistol grip type, and a pivoted trigger member, in finger engageable relation to said hand grip portion, which is manipulatable to actuatethe platform vibrating mechanism.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understoodfrom the following detailed description of the same.

An allustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dancing figure toy according to this invention; and Fig. 2 is a transverse Vertical sectional View, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed inV the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character lu indicates a casing which may be made of sheet metal, molded plastic, or other suitable material. Said casing is, as to its general form, of pistol-like shape, comprising a barrel portion H having at its rearward end a hand grip portion l2 of the pistol grip type. Rearwardly of the forward extremity of the barrel portion ll, and adapted to depend therefrom, are laterally spaced side or bracket plates |3.

Fixed to and between said side or bracket plates |3 is a transverse shaft |4. Rotatably supported Pivcrank pin portion 2| with which its lower end is 2 the exteriorly projecting upper end of said reciprocable rod 22 is a horizontal platform 24.

Afiixed by its lower end to the top of said casing is an upstanding supporting rod or standard 25, which extends through an opening 25' in said platform 24. Connected with the upper end of said supporting rod or standard 25, so as to be immovably supported thereby, is the body portion 26 of a dancing figure of any suitable design. Joined to the lower part of said fixed body portion 26 of the figure are a, pair of articulated leg members 21 adapted to depend therefrom and over the vibratory platform 24. The articulation of said leg members 21 may be arranged in any suitable manner, but preferably includes a pivoting hip joint 28 and a pivoted knee joint 29, whereby movements in simulation of dance steps may be imparted to the leg members by the vibratory platform, as will hereinafter more particularly appear. Pivotally attached to the upper part of the fixed body portionV 26 of the gure are a pair of arm members 30.

Affixed to a side or bracket plate |3, to projectl inwardly therefrom behind the driving gear IB is a'stop projection or pin 3| adapted to be abutted by the rear edge 16' of said driving gear. Anchored within the casing IO, behind said driving gear |5, is a pull spring 32, which is attached by its forward end to said driving gear IB, whereby to yieldably hold the latter stopped against clockwise movement; by abutment against stop projection or pin 3|.

Manipulatable means is provided for actuating the driving gear 16. This means comprises a trigger member 33, which is fulcrumed on a crosspin 3 that is aifixed to and within the barrel portion ll of the casing forwardly of the hand grip portion |2 thereof. Said trigger' member 32 is preferably of curvilinear Shape terminating in a forwardly projecting free end portion 35. Connected between the free end portion 35 of' said trigger member and the lower part of said driving gear IB is a link 36. Said side or bracket plates 13 are spaced forwardly apart from the hand grip portion |2 of the casing Ill, whereby to provide what may be termed an intermediate finger guard space 31, across which said trigger member 33 extends so as to be exposed to engagement by a finger of the hand by which the hand grip portion l2 is grasped for holding the toy.

When the toy is grasped by the hand grip portion |2, and the trigger member 33 engaged by a finger of the grasping hand, the mechanism may be actuat-ed to cause dancing movement of the figure. This is accomplished by alternately pulling and releasing said trigger member. When the trigger member is pulled, the backward swing thus imparted thereto is transmitted through the link 36 to the driving gear l'6, whereby to impart limited counterclockwise motion thereto against the tension of the pull spring 32. Such motion of the driving gear is transmitted to the driven gear l9, Whereby to impart limited clockwise motion thereto and to the Crank-wheel 20. Such motion of the crank Wheel 2'0 produces an upward movement of the rod 22 and platform 24, whereby the latter kicks against the jointed leg members 21 of the figure, and thereby causes simulated dancestep upward movements of the latter. When the trigger member 33 is released, the pull spring 3,2 produces the reverse of the described movements of the driving gear, driven gear, Crank-Wheel and reciprocable rod 22 and platform 24, thus causing the latter to descend, so that gravity may cause downward movements of the leg members 21 of the figure. It will thus be obvious that repeated alternate pull and release of the trigger member 33 will,v through the described actuating mechanisr'n, cause a `Vertical vibrati'onl of the platform 24 relative to lthe jointed leg members of the gur which are suspended thereover, and consequently by the intrmittent contact of the former With said members, will toss the same upward, whereby to cause simulation of very life-like dance lstep movements thereof. At the same time, the above described movements of the leg members Will cause such swaying vibration of the body 26 as will be sufiijcient to induce some accompanying'swinging movements of the pivoted arm members SQ of the fi'gure, and thusl enhance the dance simulati'rgfmovements of said figure as a' whole.

Having now described 4myinvention,`I claim:

11 A dancing figure toy'comprising in combination a pistol-shaped casi'ng, a j'ointed figure supported exteriorly from said casing by means attached to said casing, an exterior platform below said figure, vertically reciprocable means for supportine said platform, a crank-wheel mounted within said casing for reciprocating said latter means, gearing also mounted within said casing for actuating said crank-,wheeL said casing having a, hand gripportion of the pistol grip type, a pivoted trigger member in finger engageable relation to said hand grip portion, and a link interconnecting the free end portion of said trigger member with said gearing, Whereby movment of said trigger member actuates said gearing.

2. A dancing figure toy comprising in combinamon. a. istol-.shapod cash-og. having o. barrel portion terminating at its rearward end in a hand grip portion of the pistol grip type, said barrel having laterally spaced opposed side plates dependent therefrom and spaced forwardly of said hand grip portion, intermeshing driving and driven gears mounted between said side plates, a Crank-wheel rotatable With said drven gear, a reciprocable rod actuated by said crank-wheel having its upper end projecting eteriqrly of the casing barrel, a platform' carried by the exterior end of said rod, a jointed figure, means attached to' said casing to support said figure over said platform, a trigger member pivotally connected to said' casing barrel and accessibly disposed intermediate Vsaid side plates and hand grip portion and in vfinger engageable relation to the latter, and a link'interconnected between said trigger member and said driving gear, Whereby motion' of the former is transmitted to the latter.

3. A dancing figure toy comprising in combination a pis't 'haped casing having a barrel portion terrni atin'gat its rearward end in a hand grip portion of'the pistol grip type, said v`r a1jre1 having latevrally spaced opposed side plates Vdependent therefrom and spaced forwardly of said hand grip portion, intermeshing driving and driven 'gears'mounted between said side plates, a Crank-.Wheel rotatable with said driven gear, a reciprocable rod actuated by `said Crank-wheel havrend proiecting o tororly of the casv I platform carried 'by the exterior end of said 1 d, a jo'inted figure, means attahed' to tojsupport said figure over said platform, l'a tf'igger member pivotally connected to said casing barrel .and Vaccessibly disposed intermediate' sfa'id 'side plates and hand grip portion and in finger engag'e'able relation to the latter, and a link interconn'ecte'd between said trigger mein-,- ber and said driving gear, whereby motion manually impartd t'ojtheformer produces movement of the latt'er in one 'direction, and spring means for producing moyemnt of said driving gear and trigger member in theopposite' directien.

' i DANIEL B. SWAYZE.

o-voo The following ro'foooeoos, ooo of record io the file of this patent: UNI-'rEn e'rAfrEs PA'rN'rs Number Name Date 592,257 Sjala'dee et al. J Oct. 26,1897 1,162,687 lDQwney V Nov. 30, 19'15. 

